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<span class=large>THE FIRST BOOK OF NEPHI</span><br/> HIS REIGN AND MINISTRY
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CHAPTER 15
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Lehi’s seed are to receive the gospel from the Gentiles in the latter days—The gathering of Israel is likened unto an olive tree whose natural branches shall be grafted in again—Nephi interprets the vision of the tree of life and speaks of the justice of God in dividing the wicked from the righteous.  Between 600 and 592 <span class='small'>B.C.</span>
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&nbsp;&nbsp;1 <span class='smallcaps'>
And</span> it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been carried away in the spirit, and seen all these things, I returned to the tent of my father.
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And it came to pass that I beheld my brethren, and they were disputing one with another concerning the things which my father had spoken unto them.
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For he truly spake many great things unto them, which were hard to be <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/3a" mark="a" type="C" title="1 Cor. 2: 11 (10-12); TG Hardheartedness; TG Understanding.">understood</a>, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought.
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And now I, Nephi, was grieved because of the hardness of their hearts, and also, because of the things which I had seen, and knew they must unavoidably come to pass because of the great wickedness of the children of men.
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And it came to pass that I was overcome because of my afflictions, for I considered that mine <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/5a" mark="a" type="A" title="Moses 7: 44 (41-44).">afflictions</a> were great above all, because of the <sup>b</sup><a href="1_ne/15/5b" mark="b" type="A" title="Enos 1: 13; Morm. 6: 1.">destruction</a> of my people, for I had beheld their fall.
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And it came to pass that after I had received <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/6a" mark="a" type="A" title="Moses 1: 10; JS-H 1: 20, 48.">strength</a> I spake unto my brethren, desiring to know of them the cause of their disputations.
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And they said: Behold, we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken concerning the natural branches of the <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/7a" mark="a" type="A" title="1 Ne. 10: 14 (2-15).">olive</a>-tree, and also concerning the Gentiles.
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And I said unto them: Have ye <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/8a" mark="a" type="C" title="2 Ne. 1: 25 (24-27); Mosiah 10: 14; TG Problem-Solving.">inquired</a> of the Lord?
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And they said unto me: <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/9a" mark="a" type="A" title="D&C 58: 33.">We</a> have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.
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Behold, I said unto them: How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord?  How is it that ye will <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/10a" mark="a" type="B" title="TG Apostasy of Individuals.">perish</a>, because of the hardness of your hearts?
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Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/11a" mark="a" type="C" title="James 1: 5 (5-6); TG Prayer.">ask</a> me in <sup>b</sup><a href="1_ne/15/11b" mark="b" type="A" title="1 Ne. 2: 19 (18-21); 1 Ne. 7: 12 (9-13).">faith</a>, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.
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Behold, I say unto you, that the house of Israel was compared unto an olive-tree, by the Spirit of the Lord which was in our father; and behold are we not broken off from the house of Israel, and are we not a <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/12a" mark="a" type="C" title="Gen. 49: 22 (22-26); 1 Ne. 10: 12 (12-14); 1 Ne. 19: 24; TG Israel, Joseph, People of.">branch</a> of the house of Israel?
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And now, the thing which our father meaneth concerning the grafting in of the natural branches through the fulness of the Gentiles, is, that in the latter days, when our seed shall have <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/13a" mark="a" type="A" title="1 Ne. 12: 22 (22-23); 2 Ne. 26: 15.">dwindled</a> in unbelief, yea, for the space of many years, and many generations after the <sup>b</sup><a href="1_ne/15/13b" mark="b" type="B" title="TG Jesus Christ, Messiah.">Messiah</a> shall be manifested in body unto the children of men, then shall the fulness of the <sup>c</sup><a href="1_ne/15/13c" mark="c" type="B" title="TG Gospel; TG Mission of Latter-day Saints.">gospel</a> of the Messiah come unto the Gentiles, and from the <sup>d</sup><a href="1_ne/15/13d" mark="d" type="C" title="1 Ne. 13: 42; 1 Ne. 22: 9 (5-10); D&C 14: 10; TG Gentiles.">Gentiles</a> unto the remnant of our seed—
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And at that day shall the remnant of our <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/14a" mark="a" type="A" title="2 Ne. 10: 2; 3 Ne. 5: 23 (21-26); 3 Ne. 21: 7 (4-29).">seed</a> <sup>b</sup><a href="1_ne/15/14b" mark="b" type="A" title="2 Ne. 3: 12; 2 Ne. 30: 5; Morm. 7: 9 (1, 9-10).">know</a> that they are of the house of Israel, and that they are the <sup>c</sup><a href="1_ne/15/14c" mark="c" type="B" title="TG Abrahamic Covenant.">covenant</a> people of the Lord; and then shall they know and <sup>d</sup><a href="1_ne/15/14d" mark="d" type="A" title="Jacob 3: 6.">come</a> to the <sup>e</sup><a href="1_ne/15/14e" mark="e" type="E" title="D&C 3: 18 (16-20); See also title page of the Book of Mormon.">knowledge</a> of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved.
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And then at that day will they not rejoice and give praise unto their everlasting God, their <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/15a" mark="a" type="B" title="TG Rock.">rock</a> and their salvation?  Yea, at that day, will they not receive the strength and nourishment from the true <sup>b</sup><a href="1_ne/15/15b" mark="b" type="A" title="Gen. 49: 11; John 15: 1.">vine</a>?  Yea, will they not come unto the true fold of God?
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Behold, I say unto you, Yea; they shall be remembered again among the house of Israel; they shall be <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/16a" mark="a" type="A" title="Jacob 5: 54 (1-77).">grafted</a> in, being a natural branch of the olive-tree, into the true olive-tree.
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And this is what our father meaneth; and he meaneth that it will not come to pass until after they are scattered by the Gentiles; and he meaneth that it shall come by way of the Gentiles, that the Lord may show his power unto the Gentiles, for the very cause that he shall be <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/17a" mark="a" type="B" title="TG Jesus Christ, Betrayal of; TG Jesus Christ, Crucifixion of.">rejected</a> of the Jews, or of the house of Israel.
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Wherefore, our father hath not spoken of our seed alone, but also of all the house of Israel, pointing to the covenant which should be fulfilled in the latter days; which covenant the Lord made to our father Abraham, saying: In thy <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/18a" mark="a" type="C" title="Gen. 12: 3 (1-3); Abr. 2: 11 (6-11); TG Seed of Abraham.">seed</a> shall all the kindreds of the earth be <sup>b</sup><a href="1_ne/15/18b" mark="b" type="B" title="TG Israel, Mission of.">blessed</a>.
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And it came to pass that I, Nephi, spake much unto them concerning these things; yea, I spake unto them concerning the <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/19a" mark="a" type="C" title="Isa. 42: 22 (22-23); 1 Ne. 19: 15; TG Israel, Gathering of; TG Israel, Judah, People of.">restoration</a> of the Jews in the latter days.
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And I did rehearse unto them the words of <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/20a" mark="a" type="A" title="1 Ne. 19: 23.">Isaiah</a>, who spake <sup>b</sup><a href="1_ne/15/20b" mark="b" type="A" title="Isa. 40: 9.">concerning</a> the <sup>c</sup><a href="1_ne/15/20c" mark="c" type="B" title="TG Israel, Restoration of.">restoration</a> of the Jews, or of the house of Israel; and after they were restored they should no more be confounded, neither should they be scattered again.  And it came to pass that I did speak many words unto my brethren, that they were pacified and did <sup>d</sup><a href="1_ne/15/20d" mark="d" type="A" title="1 Ne. 16: 5 (5, 24, 39).">humble</a> themselves before the Lord.
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And it came to pass that they did speak unto me again, saying: What meaneth this thing which our father saw in a dream?  What meaneth the <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/21a" mark="a" type="A" title="1 Ne. 8: 10 (10-12).">tree</a> which he saw?
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And I said unto them: It was a representation of the <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/22a" mark="a" type="A" title="1 Ne. 11: 4; Moses 3: 9.">tree</a> of life.
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And they said unto me: What meaneth the <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/23a" mark="a" type="A" title="1 Ne. 8: 19 (19-24).">rod</a> of iron which our father saw, that led to the tree?
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And I said unto them that it was the <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/24a" mark="a" type="C" title="1 Ne. 8: 19; TG Gospel.">word</a> of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would <sup>b</sup><a href="1_ne/15/24b" mark="b" type="A" title="Prov. 4: 13.">hold</a> fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the <sup>c</sup><a href="1_ne/15/24c" mark="c" type="C" title="1 Ne. 8: 23; TG Temptation.">temptations</a> and the fiery <sup>d</sup><a href="1_ne/15/24d" mark="d" type="A" title="Eph. 6: 16; D&C 3: 8; D&C 27: 17.">darts</a> of the <sup>e</sup><a href="1_ne/15/24e" mark="e" type="B" title="TG Devil.">adversary</a> overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.
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Wherefore, I, Nephi, did exhort them to give <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/25a" mark="a" type="C" title="D&C 11: 2; D&C 32: 4; D&C 84: 43 (43-44); TG Scriptures, Study of.">heed</a> unto the word of the Lord; yea, I did exhort them with all the energies of my soul, and with all the <sup>b</sup><a href="1_ne/15/25b" mark="b" type="A" title="W of M 1: 18.">faculty</a> which I possessed, that they would give heed to the word of God and remember to keep his commandments always in all things.
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And they said unto me: What meaneth the <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/26a" mark="a" type="A" title="1 Ne. 8: 13.">river</a> of water which our father saw?
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And I said unto them that the <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/27a" mark="a" type="A" title="1 Ne. 12: 16 (16-18).">water</a> which my father saw was <sup>b</sup><a href="1_ne/15/27b" mark="b" type="B" title="TG Filthiness.">filthiness</a>; and so much was his mind swallowed up in other things that he beheld not the filthiness of the water.
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And I said unto them that it was an awful <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/28a" mark="a" type="A" title="Luke 16: 26; 1 Ne. 12: 18; 2 Ne. 1: 13.">gulf</a>, which separated the wicked from the tree of life, and also from the saints of God.
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And I said unto them that it was a representation of that awful <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/29a" mark="a" type="C" title="1 Ne. 8: 32 (13-14, 32); TG Hell.">hell</a>, which the angel said unto me was prepared for the wicked.
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And I said unto them that our father also saw that the <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/30a" mark="a" type="B" title="TG God, Justice of; TG Justice.">justice</a> of God did also divide the wicked from the righteous; and the brightness thereof was like unto the brightness of a flaming <sup>b</sup><a href="1_ne/15/30b" mark="b" type="A" title="Num. 11: 1 (1, 10); 2 Ne. 26: 6.">fire</a>, which ascendeth up unto God forever and ever, and hath no end.
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And they said unto me: Doth this thing mean the torment of the body in the days of <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/31a" mark="a" type="B" title="TG Probation.">probation</a>, or doth it mean the final state of the soul after the <sup>b</sup><a href="1_ne/15/31b" mark="b" type="A" title="Alma 40: 11 (6-26).">death</a> of the temporal body, or doth it speak of the things which are temporal?
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And it came to pass that I said unto them that it was a representation of things both temporal and spiritual; for the day should come that they must be judged of their <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/32a" mark="a" type="B" title="TG Good Works.">works</a>, yea, even the works which were done by the temporal body in their days of <sup>b</sup><a href="1_ne/15/32b" mark="b" type="B" title="TG Probation.">probation</a>.
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Wherefore, if they should <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/33a" mark="a" type="A" title="Ezek. 18: 26; Mosiah 15: 26; Moro. 10: 26.">die</a> in their wickedness they must be <sup>b</sup><a href="1_ne/15/33b" mark="b" type="A" title="Alma 12: 16; Alma 40: 26.">cast</a> off also, as to the things which are spiritual, which are pertaining to righteousness; wherefore, they must be brought to stand before God, to be <sup>c</sup><a href="1_ne/15/33c" mark="c" type="B" title="TG Jesus Christ, Judge; TG Judgment, The Last.">judged</a> of their <sup>d</sup><a href="1_ne/15/33d" mark="d" type="A" title="Ps. 33: 15 (13-15); 3 Ne. 27: 25 (23-27).">works</a>; and if their works have been filthiness they must needs be <sup>e</sup><a href="1_ne/15/33e" mark="e" type="A" title="2 Ne. 9: 16; D&C 88: 35.">filthy</a>; and if they be filthy it must needs be that they cannot <sup>f</sup><a href="1_ne/15/33f" mark="f" type="A" title="Ps. 15: 1 (1-5); Ps. 24: 3 (3-4); Mosiah 15: 23; Alma 11: 37; D&C 76: 62 (50-70); Moses 6: 57 (55-59).">dwell</a> in the kingdom of God; if so, the kingdom of God must be filthy also.
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But behold, I say unto you, the kingdom of God is not filthy, and there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God; wherefore there must needs be a place of <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/34a" mark="a" type="B" title="TG Filthiness.">filthiness</a> prepared for that which is filthy.
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And there is a place prepared, yea, even that <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/35a" mark="a" type="A" title="2 Ne. 9: 19; Mosiah 26: 27.">awful</a> <sup>b</sup><a href="1_ne/15/35b" mark="b" type="B" title="TG Hell.">hell</a> of which I have spoken, and the <sup>c</sup><a href="1_ne/15/35c" mark="c" type="A" title="1 Ne. 14: 9; D&C 1: 35.">devil</a> is the preparator of it; wherefore the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that <sup>d</sup><a href="1_ne/15/35d" mark="d" type="B" title="TG Justice.">justice</a> of which I have spoken.
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Wherefore, the wicked are rejected from the righteous, and also from that <sup>a</sup><a href="1_ne/15/36a" mark="a" type="A" title="Gen. 2: 9; 1 Ne. 8: 11; 2 Ne. 2: 15.">tree</a> of life, whose fruit is most precious and most <sup>b</sup><a href="1_ne/15/36b" mark="b" type="A" title="1 Ne. 8: 12.">desirable</a> above all other fruits; yea, and it is the <sup>c</sup><a href="1_ne/15/36c" mark="c" type="A" title="Hel. 5: 8.">greatest</a> of all the <sup>d</sup><a href="1_ne/15/36d" mark="d" type="C" title="D&C 14: 7; TG God, Gifts of.">gifts</a> of God.  And thus I spake unto my brethren.  Amen.
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